


Enough

by YumKiwiDelicious



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Confused Steve, Demisexuality, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Poor Billy, Unrequited Love, but its cute, but not for long, max cant keep a secret, the kids are overly involved in their love life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25516459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumKiwiDelicious/pseuds/YumKiwiDelicious
Summary: “Hey, Billy?”“What, pretty boy?”Steve sighed and lolled his head to look at him. “M’real sorry I can’t love you like you love me.”Billy’s throat clicked and he dragged his eyes away from his friend to look at the house looming in front of them. It even looked lonely.  “I told you, it’s fine.”
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 4
Kudos: 123





	Enough

Billy wasn’t in the car when Max told Steve. They had stopped at a gas station to fill up after the drive back from Bloomington and Billy was using the opportunity to stock up on snacks. He was sauntering back to the Camaro, arms laden with Bugles, and wasn’t even concerned about what his kid sister and secret-crush could have been discussing in his absence. His fingers were salty claws, what could there possibly be to worry about?

“They really need to get this shit in Hawkins,” he griped around a mouthful of what had just been his pinky nail. “Like seriously I am so sick of Cheez Balls.” 

He glanced up to see if either agreed with him and saw Max looking mortified and Steve looking confused. Not an entirely new look for the former king of Hawkins High, but Billy still pulled up short, staring at Steve from across the top of the car. The other boy had been filling the tank while he was inside.

“What’d I miss?”

Max had her hands over her mouth, her eyes were wide and apologetic as she blurted from the backseat, “Billy! I’m sorry, I thought he knew!”

Billy had his mouth open to ask  _ ‘What the hell are you talking about?' _ when Steve piped up, “When were you in love with me?” 

Billy was bewildered and surprised and all kinds of words for confused. At first he thought it was all just a horrifying dream and pinched himself to prove it. All it did was leave a blooming bruise on the back of his hand and make him flinch from the pain. Steve and Max were still staring at him. 

“Excuse me?” he managed. His voice didn’t shake and he was proud of that. He’d always thought if this ever came to light his voice would crack like some prepubescent little shit.

He met Max’s eyes through the back window of the Camaro and the redhead squeaked and started apologizing again. “We were talking and I mentioned it and then Steve got confused and then  _ I  _ got confused because I figured he knew because I figured you guys were  _ together  _ and you never told me not to tell him!”

It all comes out as a rush of air from behind her hands and Billy could only nod dazedly, feeling very suddenly like he was leaving his body and just watching this whole shit show from on high.

“Right,” he says faintly when she’d run out of breath and then met Steve’s eyes across the Camaro once more. The boy was staring into his soul as if begging him to deny everything his twerp sister had said. Billy blinked “Alright, we’re going to get in the car and get back into town. I’ll drop you two off and then I am going to go get shit faced.” 

He swung himself down into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut, Bugles spilling into his lap as Steve lowered himself into the passenger seat beside him. The boy reached out a hand. “Billy.”

“Nope,” he said, shrugging him off. “Nope-”

“Billy-” Steve reached for his hand, fumbling about in an attempt to keep him from putting the key in the ignition. The two went back and forth in a childish fashion, Maxine reeling in the backseat, until Steve finally snatched the keys away and pressed himself up against the opposite door. Billy sighed and seethed and gripped the steering wheel so tightly the others worried he’d snap it.

“I swear to god, Harrington, I will get out and walk my sweet ass back to Hawkins.”

“I’d stop you,” Steve insisted. He put a hand on Billy’s shoulder, dropped it when Billy winced. “I- Billy, this isn’t a big deal.”

The laugh burst out of him; grating and cruel. He felt like he could hardly catch his breath around it. “Yeah, right!” 

“You’re freaking out.”

“I am not!”

“You are. Billy, you need to calm down; this isn’t a big deal! It was back when you first moved here, it’s not like you’re still in love with me.”

There was a sharp inhale from the backseat and Billy mumbled a gruff ‘ _ Uh-huh _ ’ that was entirely unconvincing. He knew he was fucked as soon as it slipped out and he dropped his face into his hands as Steve went stiff with shock beside him.

“ _ Oh _ ,” he breathed.

The remainder of the drive is blessedly and disturbingly silent.

* * *

Max whined like a cat in heat outside his bedroom door until he let her in.

“I’m so sorry, Billy,” she rushed immediately, the words muffled in his chest where her face was pressed, hugging him tightly. They hugged now. “You told me about it so long ago and you and Steve are together _ all the time _ , I just thought-”

Billy laughed, less harsh now than he had in the car, and brought a big meaty hand to his little sister’s head. The feeling was still as odd as it was comforting, but he wouldn’t complain. It had taken them a long time to get here.

“Ah, it’s fine,” he grumbled on impulse before thinking about it a bit more. “Well, no, it’s not fine, that was really shitty of you, but I won’t, like, beat the hell out of you or anything.”

“You couldn’t,” the tween murmured into his pectorals and he scoffed but allowed it. She pulled away with a sniff and her brother realized for the first time how much this must have been weighing on her mind. She was crying for Christ sake! 

Max sniffed again and glanced around his room without trying to be slick. They had been home for a few days now, Billy taking no visitors in the interim, and his room was dark and musky. A stale smell permeated the red head’s nostrils and she scrunched her nose as she recognized it. Billy’s own face was smoothing into a dopey, content smile as he drifted back to his bed, sitting on the edge as he motioned the brat to join him. Max did.

“Are you getting high in here?”

“Look at you bein’ a detective and shit,” Billy snickered, nodding towards the other side of the bed where a joint fizzled on the nightstand. His sister frowned at it.

“Neil won’t like that.”

“Yeah, well Neil’s gone til tomorrow and so’s your mom so I’m in charge.”

“Steve won’t like that.”

“He’s not even-”

“I invited him over.”

“What!?” Billy wanted to fly into action or into a rage, but he had nowhere to expel all his energy and panic. He knew his face had to be comically shocked, but he couldn’t control his own expressions and he just tried to force his disapproving thoughts onto his step-sister until he heard a knock on the front door. “Shit.”

“I’ll get it!” 

Max squirreled her way out of her inebriated brother’s grasping hands and too soon Billy was hearing the tell-tale signs of the front door being yanked open and the object of his fucked-up affections making his greetings and inviting himself to the bedroom area. Billy tried to calm himself by rubbing his sweaty palms back and forth across his thighs and found the extra stimulation only made his mind whir further. When he was finally able to drag his eyes from his own fingers, Steve was leaning in his doorway looking awkward.

“Hey, pretty boy.” He had tried for casual, but his tone had landed somewhere adjacent to manic and Steve cast him a pitying look as he moved further into the room.

“Billy, listen-”

“You really didn’t know, huh?”

Steve looked surprised and paused his approach before he shook his head emphatically. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah,” Billy groaned. He flopped back onto his too small bed and didn’t look over as he felt the edge dip under the other teen’s weight as it had so many times before. He swallowed loudly. “I didn’t think so. Not for lack of me testing the waters though. I mean...I laid out some pretty obvious fucking clues for you, Harrington.”

He said the final bit with the last dregs of resentment he was still clinging to about the whole situation and Steve flinched. Billy felt it in the bed and it made vindictive victory roar through his chest before it was chased away by shame and guilt. This fucking sucked.

“I thought...maybe...you were attracted to me,” Steve admitted, “But you flirt with everyone and...I’m a guy.”

“What the  _ fuck _ , are you  _ serious _ ? I had  _ no  _ idea!”

“Shut up,” the other boy grouched, smacking Billy’s exposed knee with the back of his hand. It was quiet then for a moment. Max had disappeared somewhere in the house. “I’m sorry you thought...you couldn’t tell me.”

Billy spread his arms. 

“Well, look where it got us! You’re letting me down all awkwardly and now the whole town is gonna know I’m a fag and my old man’s gonna beat me to death so let’s just not talk about it ever again, hm?” 

“Don’t say that shit, man, we can figure this out.”

“Don’t think so, pretty boy.” Billy was frantic when he sat up, mullet pushed flat from laying down. His shoulder pressed hot into Steve’s. “‘Cause I've been tryna figure this shit out since I first saw you and nothing works. I never wanted you to know, it was a mistake to tell Max when I was fucked up, but I thought as long as  _ you  _ never found out it’d be alright. 

“‘Cause all you’d do is feel bad and shitty and like you need to protect me like you protect those kids and I can’t fucking live like that! Like I’m your charity case to feel guilty about until you can’t take it anymore and fuck off from me just cause I can’t get over my big faggot crush on you!”

He yelled the last bit and somewhere down the hall he heard the sound of Max’s bedroom door closing roughly. Billy hunched in on himself and couldn’t bring himself to even look at Steve who sat stiffly at his side. His old basketball rival was breathing heavily as if he were angry and holding himself back from shouting as well. This fucking sucked.

“Billy-”

“Don’t say that’s not what would happen, Stevie,” Billy huffed and,  _ fuck,  _ was he crying? “I know you don’t...feel the same way.”

Steve shivered like he was about to fall to pieces and kept his eyes firmly on the cigarette singed carpet under his feet. “I know you’re gonna call me a pussy, but...I do love you, Billy...as a friend-”

“ _ Fuck-! _ ”

“I don’t want to stop being friends, or hanging out,” he pressed on, nudging the boy beside him in irritation. “I don’t want to...lose you.”

A silence settled over them and Billy watched Steve out of the corner of his eyes. His hair was perfectly quaffed as usual and he was wearing one of his damn polos over a pair of painfully tight jeans. He forced a chuckle and was suddenly caught in a pair of deep brown eyes.

“You’re right,” he sniffed, getting up so he could wander to the other side of the bed and grab the blunt which had long since died. Steve watched him warily. “You are a pussy.”

The former king of Hawkins High set his jaw. “Things can still say the same.”

Billy sighed, elongating it out until it turned into a yell. The blunt dangled off the edge of his lip as he cast about for a lighter. “Okay. Fine, let’s just do this. Let’s pretend nothing ever fucking happened. See how long that lasts.”

“Okay.”

Billy sighed again and finally found a light. He quickly re-lit the joint and took a fat hit before handing it off to the other young man. “Jesus, Harrington, you look like you just realized you have to strangle all the rugrats, loosen up!”

Steve nodded, lips pinched, and held the blunt between his fingers. “Billy?”

“Yes, my fellow heterosexual?” That got him a small smile; one that vanished as soon as it appeared. Steve looked so damn sad.

“If...if I could love you like that, I would. I’m sorry I can’t.”

Billy let his gaze linger on his best friend’s face. He wasn’t really sure when Steve Harrington had become his best friend of all people, but whatever he guessed. He understood what Steve was saying and he supposed that would have to be enough. Forever. It still hurt though. Hurt like hell.

“I know, pretty boy.”

* * *

Things, predictably, were awkward for the next few days. Steve came over to hang out and Max danced around them looking guilty until Billy yelled at her for being a pain in the ass. He apologized with new wheels for her board and a heart-to-heart talk about how completely devastated he was about all this shit. He’d been fucked up again obviously, but his sister took it in stride and stroked his hair without mentioning his tears.

Billy and Steve were more or less normal after Steve stopped looking like he wanted to apologize for being straight every time Billy walked into the room. They still touched the same amount as usual, the occasional back-pat and the absent hand on each other when they wanted to get the other’s attention. Billy still found himself putting a hand on Steve’s lower back as he cajoled him into the Camaro. 

They still had the same old conversations, jokes, arguments, but sometimes there was a stifling air that Billy couldn’t shake. Most obvious when a woman would flirt with Steve and the once infamous lady-killer would hesitate and glance warily at Billy beside him. True, he had given up that lifestyle back in the days of Nancy Wheeler, but still now there was a whole other reason for him to tone down the charm. 

“I could stop, if you want,” Steve told him once, and Billy sighed.

“I’m not gonna stop you flirting with hot chicks, man.”

“But...doesn’t it-”

“Hurt? Sure, but that’s cause I’ve seen your dick and know these ladies would much prefer a ride on yours truly.”

Steve had sputtered and they had laughed and Billy had thought about how good he had gotten at lying to Steve  _ about  _ Steve.

* * *

Billy met Robin three months after the shit hit the fan and she showed up in her Scoops Ahoy uniform and an unimpressed scowl. Max was out with Sinclair, though she’d said she was out with Jane, and Neil and Susan were grocery shopping. Billy didn’t really appreciate one of his rare afternoons alone being interrupted.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Friend of Steve’s,” she replied like it was an all-inclusive pass into his life, which it apparently was. “He needs a babysitter.”

Billy frowned at her, the barest touches of concern entering his mind. “Why?”

“I don’t know, man,” the girl complained, growing impatient with the conversation as she motioned over her shoulder. Steve’s BMW was parked sloppily in the driveway. “He showed up at my place shitfaced to bitch, but I’ve gotta go to work and I can’t leave him alone.”

“Well, he can’t stay here!” he bit back, eyes flying up the street. Neil could be back any minute. Robin smiled caustically and flung a pair of keys into his chest.

“So take him somewhere else, but he kept moaning to be brought here so I’ve done my part. See ya.”

With that, she spun on her heel and traipsed back to the BMW. From the backseat she yanked a sky blue Schwinn cruiser and peddled off down the street with a sarcastic ring of her bell. She didn’t even say goodbye to Steve who was slumped against the passenger side front window. Billy threw a slew of curses up to the sky as he approached the car, locking the house up behind him. When he finally yanked open Steve’s door and lowered himself into the driver’s seat, the other boy barely even stirred.

“Fuck sake, man,” Billy sighed, starting up the BMW and pulling out onto the street. He knew the way to the Harrington’s and just prayed Neil wouldn’t be too bent out of shape when he got back.

“Billy,” his inebriated charge murmured, and then reached out to fondle Billy’s ear and pat him on the cheek way too hard.

“Alright,” the blonde huffed, knocking the touch away in irritation. Steve whined pathetically.

“Where’s...where- Billy?”

“You’re in the car, dumbass. Robin had to go to work and you’re eight kinds of fucked up right now, so I’m taking you home to boot and rally”

Steve blinked up at him, and then his lips spread in that blissed out smile again. “Billy,” he cooed, and then slumped sideways in the seat, no seat belt, to rub his face along Billy’s shoulder. “Always takin’ care of me.”

Steve leaned his head on Billy’s shoulder the whole way to the house, though it slipped off a few times. Billy wished he could capture the moment somehow, but satisfied himself with the warmth seeping through his bones from Steve’s hot breath on his neck. The great big house was as empty as always and when Billy cut the engine in the driveway, Steve groaned as if already knowing where they were and not liking it at all. 

“Do you want me to tuck you in?” Billy asked, knocking the other boy off him finally so that Steve dipped and swayed. He shook his head slowly and ran a hand through his already terribly mussed hair. Billy kept his hands on the steering wheel in a punishing grip.

“Nuh.” He kept making odd movements with his face, as if trying to twitch himself back into sobriety. Billy guessed his head was beginning to ache and his vision had long since doubled. He just hoped the other boy wouldn’t choke on his vomit later. “Hey, Billy?”

“What, pretty boy?”

Steve sighed and lolled his head to look at him. “M’real sorry I can’t love you like you love me.”

Billy’s throat clicked and he dragged his eyes away from his friend to look at the house looming in front of them. It even looked lonely. “I told you, it’s fine.”

“S’not...You’re sad, I’ve been making you  _ sad _ . I never want to make you sad, you deserve to be happy. Y’deserve to be  _ happy _ , Billy.”

“I am happy!” Billy snapped loudly to distract himself from the fact that Steve was leaning over him, close enough to kiss, but boarding obviously on tears. “Just...just being around you makes me happy, stop with the guilty bullshit.”

“Billy,” Steve slurred one more time before slumping over, completely dead weight as he passed out like some chick who couldn't handle her alcohol. Billy huffed irritably noticing how his heart was pounding as he threw the driver’s door open. Now he  _ had  _ to tuck Steve in.

* * *

Billy went home, played hooky from school the next three days, and then showed up at a Party gathering like nothing had happened. Because that’s what they did, pretended like everything was normal and Billy wasn’t desperately in love with his straight best friend. This is what they  _ do _ . Both Max and Steve looked worried, but Billy wisely ignored it and made a beeline for the kitchen to grab a beer before pooping himself down on the couch. They were meeting in Steve’s house and Billy sipped and pretended the place didn’t make his skin crawl.

Max continuously attempted to talk with her brother or draw him into conversation with the oblivious boys around her, but Billy refused. He was there to chaperon, not engage and as a matter of fact he wanted a smoke. He pushed out into the front yard and promptly felt his heart start to jump and race in the beginnings of panic. The feeling was only made worse when he heard the door open and shut behind him and Steve appeared at his side looking sad as fucking always.

“I’m fine,” Billy snapped just as Steve was opening his mouth. He didn’t feel fine. “I’m dealing.”

Steve snorted. “Denial doesn’t look good on you, man.”

“Worked for us so far.”

The other boy’s shoulders grew tense. “Billy, we need to talk.”

“No, we really don’t.” 

He was leaving. Possibly forever. He just couldn’t stand Steve standing within arms reach but miles away at the same time anymore. He was halfway to the Camaro, digging a cigarette roughly from his pocket, mouth twisted nastily to tell Steve to have a good life, when the other boy retched him around by the shoulders and kissed him. Right there on the lawn in front of God and anyone that just so happened to be strolling down the street. Billy kissed back for only a moment, wanting more than anything to give in to what he’d wanted for so long, but then he broke the contact with his fist. He punched Steve across the face so viciously that the brunette fell onto the grass, blood already pooling in and out of his mouth.

“Billy, what the fuck?!”

“Don’t,” was the snarled reply. He was humiliated, absolutely mortified to feel tears pricking behind his lashes and he wanted to beat Harrington’s fucking face in more than he ever had before. “Don’t you  _ FUCKING DARE _ !”

The front door opened again and suddenly there was six tiny people staring at them. Max looked like she wanted to cry too, Dustin was cheering Steve to his feet like it was a common street brawl, and Mike was holding Jane back from interfering. Billy felt heat and tears pouring down his face. He glared at Steve.

“Billy,” the other boy muttered wetly, hair mussed and pants grass-stained, “What if I  _ could  _ love you like that?”

“ _ Fuck you _ !” Billy spat, rubbing his hands down his face. He turned on his heel, fists clenched and headed towards his car. As a hazy after thought, he tossed over his shoulder, “Max!”

He could hear his sister’s lengthy steps following after him, could hear the way she skirted around Steve on the ground and dropped a frightened little apology before another voice rose up from the front door.

“Hear him out!”

It was Dustin out of all of them; Steve’s shadow. Billy realized for the first time that the kids probably weren't as clueless as he thought and he only grew angrier. He yanked his sister’s door open, completely ignoring the pattering of little feet that approached. He was so out of here.

“Come on, man, you can’t just sucker punch him and go!” Mike grouched, his girlfriend nodding emphatically from his arms, eyes wide. 

“Mind your damn business.”

“You could at least give him a chance to explain,” Will spoke softly and Billy glanced back at him irately. He had a bit of a soft spot for the wispy mini-Byers; he had a feeling he was going to have it rough in the next few years when he and everyone else realized he was as gay as Billy was. The young man sighed, a long heavy breath rushing out of him as he caught his sister’s eye in the passenger seat. Her door was still open and she reached up tentatively to touch his hand.

“Billy, please?”

Damn.

He turned back to the lawn and spotted Steve over the crest of all the kids’ heads. He was still on the grass, but he had pushed himself into a sitting position and seemed to have come to peace with the blood staining the front of his stupid polo shirt. The kids parted like the Red Sea and Billy stared down out him, arms cross over his chest to protect his tender heart and also make him look bigger.

“Start talking.”

“I,” Steve started and stopped, looking like he hadn’t really expected to get a chance to speak. Hadn't prepared anything to say. His eyes flitted over their assembled audience and then back to his friend. “Since you told me-”

“Max told you, I got dragged into this shit.”

“Since I found out,” he corrected,. “I’ve been- thinking....about us. Mostly about you and about how sexuality is fluid, and-”

“Steve, come on,” Lucas complained, yelping when Max pinched the flesh of his back roughly.

“Dustin gave me some books to read-”

“Gross!”

“I got them from my mom!”

“ _ GROSS _ !”

“-which helped me realize I’m demisexual.”

“Wait, what?”

“Demisexual,” Steve restated for Mike, not seeming half as annoyed as Billy with the continuous interruption from the rugrats in this conversation. “It’s-”

“They don’t need to know what it is, Harrington.”

“Right, but...that isn’t the point. The point is that I never considered the possibility that I could love you like that,” Steve blurted. Everyone shifted around awkwardly on the lawn, no one really making eye contact with anyone else, but Billy kept the other teen pinned beneath his gaze. 

“I didn’t think I could, but since you told me, I’ve been thinking...and I tried to get myself to feel the same way, and I tried so hard to force it...but then Jane told me something and I realized- Billy, I think I’m already in love with you. I think I was before I found out you were in love with me-”

“Fuck, yeah, I can’t do this,” Billy huffed then, releasing Steve so he could blink up at the retreating sunlight. He tried to turn and make his way around to the driver's side, but the ankle biters swarmed him. They complained and begged and even hugged onto him begging him to just  _ consider  _ it. He was honestly about to lose his temper with the little shits when suddenly there was a bigger hand there on his shoulder. He turned and the kids fell away as Steve stepped right into his personal space, nearly pushing him up against his own hood.

“I think I’ve been in love with you for months,” Steve breathed. “I just didn’t realize because I didn’t think I could feel like this for a guy.”

“Don’t do this,” Billy begged, all semblance of self image falling at the wayside. So what if they were surrounded by a pack of overly involved preteens, he couldn’t listen to this shit anymore. “Don’t say a bunch of shit you don’t mean just because you...you  _ tricked  _ yourself into thinking your a fag.” An unhappy grumble went through the Party at the slur, but Billy ignored them to continue drilling his eyes into Steve’s soul.

“You’re just too chicken shit to lose me as a friend-”

“I’m  _ not _ !”

“-But you’ve got nothing to worry about, pretty boy,” the blonde continued unphased. “I’m not going anywhere, but you will if you jump into this half cocked.”

“I wouldn’t, I respect you too much.”

Billy made a noise of frustration through his teeth. He pushed a bit more space between them, jostling the others as he stood taller and started posturing. “You are not in love with me, Harrington!” 

“He is!” Dustin piped up pressed right up against Steve’s side. “He’s put a lot of thought into it!” 

“Oh, that makes me feel loads better!”

“Don’t you trust him?”

“I trust him with everything!” Billy hissed, trying and failing to quell his anger when addressing Jane. He rubbed furiously at his eyes as he felt a migraine start to bloom behind them. “But I also trust that you’ve been feeling so bad you  _ convinced  _ yourself you're in love with me!”

“And I’m telling you I haven't!" Steve seemed to be getting irritated too now, the two of them just feeding negative energy back and forth, voices loud and chests puffed up. “Have Jane look into my head!” 

“Oh, fuck off, she’d probably just lie to protect you-!”

“Friends don’t lie!”

The chorus, shouted from every single person under sixteen present, made Billy’s ears ring and he grabbed at his hair if only to keep his fists from flying out and hitting Steve again. The kids were too close, he may end up hitting one of them by accident. He was shaking. Steve grabbed his arms.

“What will it take for you to believe me, Billy?”

He drew in a ragged breath and blew it out even more raggedly. “I don’t know.”

“Tell me and I’ll do it.”

“I said I don’t know,  _ fuck _ ,” he grouched at his shoes, knocking his friend’s hands away as he felt more tiny hands starting to rub up and down his back. The girls. He sighed, releasing his ruined locks and looking up only to see Steve looking like a kicked puppy. “Don’t gimme that look! What the hell do you even want, Steve?”

“You,” Steve said instantly. Behind him one of the boys whispered ‘Nice!’. “Your friendship, and in the last several months I’ve realized I also want a relationship. Why is that so hard for you to believe?”

“Because I know you and you’re  _ way _ out of my league anyway.”

Max chose this moment to shoehorn herself into the conversation and swung around her brother's shoulder to look up into his face with a frown. “That’s not true.”

“What would you know?”

“You’re kind,” Will offered shyly, pale face growing pink as all eyes turned to him. Billy cursed internally again at this whole thing becoming a  _ Party  _ discussion. 

“You’re funny,” Lucas mused as if it was only just occurring to him. “In a kind of mean way…”

“But you’re loyal!” Dustin amended with a wide partially toothless smile. Billy huffed a surprised laugh.

“You try to cheer us up when we’re sad,” Jane added in that odd monotone of hers and a curious little smirk lifted her features. Beside her Mike nodded.

“Even if you don’t want it to be obvious.” He rolled his eyes and stage whispered to Steve, “But it’s always so obvious.”

“You’re witty, and protective, and selfless, and hardworking, and you’ve stuck by me through a ton of shit and you can totally kick my ass,” Steve finally butted back in with a laugh. His mouth had finally stopped bleeding. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I love you...I’m  _ in  _ love with you! And I’m not gonna stop saying it until you believe me!”

Billy stared, trying to find something, anything to respond with. They were all just looking at him, waiting for a response that they’d obviously been expecting from the beginning. Again, the kids weren’t as clueless as he’d thought; they hadn’t just run out onto the porch randomly. They had been watching because Steve had let them know he was going to confess. Because Steve was in love with him apparently. Well, fuck.

Finally, he went with, “With this group’s luck it’ll be five seconds before I get ripped to shred right in front of you by a Demodog.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’d be super fucking dramatic. You’d scream my name into the sky and vow revenge-”

“Billy,” Steve huffed with a hint of a smile, and Billy sighed.

_ Shit _ , he thought distantly. “You love me.”

Steve kept staring at him, grinning hard with teeth stained rusty red. “Very much, yeah.”

“...Fair ‘nuff,” Billy said and then grabbed the other boy by his bloody collar and yanked him into a kiss. The Party exploded with whoops and happy cries and Billy pulled back a bit to murmur against Steve’s mouth, eyes barely open, “You sure?”

”So sure.”

And that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Thissss took longer than expected and is not proof read sooo sorry for any mistakes especially towards the end. I am still in quarantine and it was just announced I will NOT be returning to work....eh. My creative juices kinda of ran out a few weeks (months?) ago, but I'm trying to get back into vids and fanfic just to give myself something to do. This is liiiike a refresher. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
